Monday, January 20, 2014

My classes start tomorrow. WOOT. I'm putting the finishing touches on my syllabi and prepping for classes. I hope you all had a great vacation. ACTF was exciting and theatrically fun. There were so many great workshop and cool people. Now back to reality. (woop there goes gravity). Stop in the shop and say Hey to me and Fiona. Here is a pretty picture and some interesting fashion history for you.

From glamoursplash.com

1953 Claire McCardell Swimsuit

Claire
McCardell went to school at Paris Parsons and graduated in 1928. While
McCardell’s 1930s innovations such as mix-and-match separates were
brilliant, America’s isolation from Paris couturiers, as well as the
shortage of materials available during World War II, ultimately gave
spark to her real ingenuity and vision.

Cutting
fashionable dresses and pantsuits out of government surpluses of cotton
weather balloons, McCardell’s fashions were not just frugal, they
created a new ease in women’s clothing that demanded its own category:
sportswear. Not to be confused with today’s Lycra-infused active wear,
ladies sportswear of the 1940s took its name from the simple fact it let
women move, hands free, through their daily lives.

Leaving
behind the restriction of the corsets, girdles, and fussy fabrics,
McCardell’s cotton and denim dresses hung from the shoulders, flattering
a variety of different body shapes. By applying her sportswear ideal to
every possible application—from day wear to evening wear, from swimwear
to accessories—McCardell’s disregard for convention resulted in fresh,
versatile designs with real staying power.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

If you're at WCU this week you'll be enjoying so many awesome productions and workshops.
Not to be missed:
ALIVE “A Devised Puppet Piece” developed by the Ensemble
Produced by: Arcadia University
Directors: Alisa Kleckner and Scott Cassidy
Thursday January 16, 2014 9pm-10:30pm
Mainstage Theatre
For a kooky circus family, living on the road is one delicious cake walk. But
what happens when Pandora’s pickled predictions abruptly stop pointing the
way? A tale of daring, divisive and diabolical dimensions threatens to derail a
dubious shared destiny.
Grab your ticket, pop some circus peanuts and prepare yourself for three
rings of the most wondrous puppet show on earth!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

The shop is empty right now but we are working on things for ACTF (the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival) which is bring held at West Chester University this January 14-18.

There are going to be so many awesome sessions and productions. Can't wait to see you all at my How to style Victorian (Gibson Girl) hairstyles on Friday morning at 9. For more info and other great sessions check out the website kcactf2.org .